The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-La Union Provincial Statistical Office carries out the monthly Labor Force Survey (LFS) April 2024 round from 08 to 28 May 2024 in sample enumeration areas in La Union.

The LFS is a nationwide survey of households conducted by the PSA to gather data on the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the population. Specifically, the LFS is designed to collect information on the distribution of household population 15 years old and over, by employment status, by sex, and age group; distribution of employed persons by major occupation group, major industry group, class of worker, number of hours worked, highest grade completed, nature of employment, and by sex; distribution of underemployed persons by total hours worked, major occupation group, class of worker, and by sex; and distribution of unemployed persons by age group, highest grade completed, by number of weeks looking for work, job search method, and by sex.

In preparation for the activity, PSA-La Union conducted a one-day briefing on 07 May 2024 to its two hired Statistical Researchers (SRs) to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their tasks effectively.

The hired SRs will visit and interview about 96 sample households in six selected barangays in the province.

The success of the May 2024 round of the LFS highly depends on the quality of the data that will be collected. Hence, PSA-La Union encourages the sample households to participate in the survey by providing truthful and complete data. Respondents are assured that all gathered information will be held with the utmost confidentiality under Section 19 of Republic Act (RA) No. 10173, otherwise known as the Data Privacy Act of 2012, and Section 26 of RA 10625, otherwise known as the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013.

Meanwhile, the PSA released on 08 May 2024 the results of the LFS March 2024 round. Some of the highlights of the report in the country are as follows:

1. The country’s unemployment rate in March 2024 was estimated at 3.9 percent. This was lower than the recorded unemployment rate in March 2023 at 4.7 percent but was higher than the 3.5 percent estimate in February 2024.

2. In terms of magnitude, the number of unemployed persons 15 years old and over in March 2024 was estimated at 2.00 million. This was lower than the reported number of unemployed persons in March 2023 at 2.42 million. The number of unemployed persons in February 2024 was recorded at 1.80 million.

3. The employment rate in March 2024 was recorded at 96.1 percent, higher than the 95.3 percent estimate in March of the previous year but lower than the estimate in February 2024 at 96.5 percent.

In terms of levels, the number of employed persons 15 years old and over was estimated at 49.15 million, higher than the number of employed persons in March 2023 at 48.58 million and February 2024 at 48.95 million.

3. The Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in March 2024 was registered at 65.3 percent, lower than the estimated LFPR in March 2023 at 66.0 percent. In February 2024, the LFPR was estimated at 64.8 percent.

The reported LFPR in March 2024 translates to a total of 51.15 million Filipinos aged 15 years old and over who were in the labor force, or those who were either employed or unemployed. In March 2023, the number of individuals aged 15 years old and over who were in the labor force was 51.00 million, while 50.75 million were in the labor force in February 2024.

4. The underemployment rate in March 2024 was posted at 11.0 percent, lower than the recorded rate in March 2023 at 11.2 percent and February 2024 at 12.4 percent.

In terms of magnitude, 5.39 million of the 49.15 million employed individuals expressed the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or to have additional job, or to have a new job with longer hours of work in March 2024.

SGD. DANITES E. TEÑIDO, PhD
Chief Statistical Specialist

/RBP/MBL